Customer Reviews

Leader of the Pack (Tales of an Urban Werewolf, Book 3)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

One of the reasons why MacInerney's series is not "just another werewolf tale" is that it really has its own flavor. The main character, Sophie Garou hasn't grown up in a Pack. So the reader is not withered down immediately with all the hierarchical rule weaving that most authors strain to include at the very beginning of a series. And it's refreshing because the reader goes on the journey of discovery with the character.

So in addition to not growing up in a pack, Sophie's natural talent of shielding herself has enabled her live right under the noses of the Houston pack of werewolves for most of her natural life. This has come with its advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage being that when she is finally discovered by a rogue packette, and a werewolf enforcer, she is thrust into a series of events that she won't be able to wiggle out of.

Leader of the Pack is the third in this urban werewolf series and usually in the third book there is a big payoff. In On the Prowl, readers were left off with wondering exactly who and what Mark was. Was he some type of demon or spirit? Perhaps both. Wondering if Tom Fenris and Sophie were ever going to make a love connection. Wondering if the mission she completed would get her out of owing any allegiance to the Houston pack. But while there were some resolutions, I expected just a tad more.

We see more development in Mark, Tom, Lindsey's and Heath's character and overall that makes them more interesting in relation to Sophie. And the introduction of Sophie's absent father who is now on trial by the Houston pack plunges her and her friends into new territory of pack politics and a battle for succession, which has a surprisingly satisfying ending.

Readers might be reminded by the Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn with regard to pace and plot development. I'm a fan of MacInerney's and I'd say, let's up the ante just a bit. But Leader of the Pack doesn't disappoint and it was an incredibly good bubble bath read that I enjoyed.

I was really disappointed with this book. The first book was okay and I really liked the second book, I was hoping that as the series progressed that the book content would as well. I was wrong. It seems the writing completely regressed to that of the first book, the first third of the book was filled with inane ramblings and humorless attempts at sarcastic humor--which I consider a very sad attempt at page fillers--that completely annoyed me in the first book. This book read like some tawdry soap opera mixed and shaken with drama from a bad talk show.

The storyline is weak, predictable, cliche, and in most cases so unbelievable. The whole story for the most part was poorly contrived. There was no character development on part of the heroine. Sophie is still the same selfish, thoughtless person she was in the previous books, and throughout the book I felt she was getting dumber. She has a history of dishonesty, immorality, and withholding the truth. She doesn't ever tell the truth until she's forced into a situation. I was sooooooooo disappointed, for the most part I didn't really count on the characters to be very well developed because....hey...they've never been before but I normally get many laughs and enjoy the story which was not the case for this book. I will admit, there were some good moments but they were just too few to overshadow the feelings of disappointment, disgust, and regret for having purchased this book.

SPOILER BELOW!

I thought that author's ending was despicable!

Here's the situation: Sophie and Lindsay are friends. Lindsay is dating Tom. Sophie who has been in relationships with two guys wants Tom. She even kissed Tom while he and Lindsay were dating and while she was seeing someone else. Not only that, she slept with another guy while she was seeing someone else. Sophie has been wanting Tom and would have given it up to him as soon as he gave her the okay, to hell with whoever she was seeing and her best friend. I find it very distasteful that the way the author made it okay for those two to be together was to put Lindsay and Heath together so Sophie and Tom can feel okay to get together. That was just wrong!

I was really looking forward to this book. I read the first two and I thought it was a good read, but it left the reader feeling like "that's it".
It is a bit redundant, several of the little remarks and funny saying were repeated thoughout the series and it is at the point where, while they were funny in the first book,by the third, I was already tired of them.
Another area where it is redundant is when it gives a run down of the two previous books. There is a lot of summary and I found myself skimming over sections of chapters.
I think the last thing was the ending. THe reactions of people to certain events were unrealistic almost irritating.

Other than that, the book was likable. I liked the twists, and I would hope there is a book to follow; otherwise, it would be a really sloppy ending.

I loved Sophie a great deal and disliked her at certain times, especially in the second book when she got caught up with Mark while she was still technically with Heath. I did give her some leeway, though, because I sort of figured that he had her under some kind of enchantment. I made the connection between him and Miranda when Sophie smelled both their smoky scents--SPOILER ALERT--and half-correctly figured that Mark was some kind of sex demon, maybe an incubus that wanted to possess her, and that he had sent a succubus to lure her boyfriend away to clear the field for him. Especially that part when he visited her in bed the first time when she was sleeping (or she thought she was). Classic incubus behavior from mythology. But, Mark's true nature turned out to be a bit more ambitious than a mere incubus.

I know Sophie had a great many secrets she had to keep in her life, but there was no excuse to trying to keep such a secret as her true nature from the man she was planning to marry. She should have told him long before the "forever" moment popped up. To drag out a relationship for over a year with a secret that has the potential to destroy it and devastate your love is heartless. Heath had a right to know. And Sophie still didn't seem as if she'd learned her lesson in being forthcoming at the end of the book. Was she going to tell Tom about Ash's ring that she'd discovered? That was the biggest loose end to the book. It's a given that an entity like Ash won't give up something he wants and will want it even more if he's twarted in getting it. So, it seems as if Sophie might have a very rocky road to a happily ever after with a demonic stalker around that's known for his tendency to take out the lovers of the women he's interested in. After all, the spell and exorcism were to protect Sophie. They don't protect Tom or any of her loved ones.

The characters improve in this book and are getting pretty good. Not as much humor although there is some; the changing rooms were kind of funny. Unfortunately not all that much in the way of plot. The title pretty much blows the conclusion. If you are up on some arcane lore the previous book kind of identified Mark. At least the author refrains from writing erotic scenes which unless very well written indeed get to be boring.

Overall a good but not great read.

Spoiler alert!

It is impossible to discuss the ending without writing a spoiler. Lindsey winding up with Heath is not entirely a surprise and solves a number of problems for the author. But that is kind of telegraphed by the middle of the book as is the rest of the ending--not helped by the title. With more humor the book could have been good even with the weak plot or with a stronger plot would have been better.

This third book in the series of Sophie the unwilling werewolf was a bit weaker than the other installments. I have to admit the ending probably saved the book as things are definitely going to get more interesting in Sophie's life.

Luc Garou, snobby alpha werewolf of the Paris pack and Sophie's missing in action father, has finally showed up to see his daughter whom he hasn't seen for 27 or so years. Conveniently he shows up at the same time as the regional Howl, a big werewolf jamboree which mixes pack business with pleasure. Unfortunately while in town he's accused of killing a local werewolf and is being held for a sham trial where Wolfgang, Houston's alpha, can fulfill an old grudge and execute him. At least that's the plan although Sophie is doing everything in her power, with a lot of help from dreamy werewolf Tom, to keep her Dad alive.

Sophie's shallow relationship with an intriguing character implodes fantastically but at least she's not a completely naive heroine and doesn't make all the wrong decisions. The prolonged ending did seem a little easy but it was also intriguing and fear for Luc kept you biting you're nails...or claws in Sophie and her friends case.

In Austin, Texas, Sophie Garou is a highly regarded auditor and has a wonderful boyfriend, but is still adjusting to knowing that several times a year at night she is ON THE PROWL and HOWLING AT THE MOON. However, pressure from the Houston pack of werewolves especially alpha leader Wolfgang for to join is immense, but used to being a loner except for her mom the witch, she tries to ignore their threats to join or else. She is also worried about her human BFF, Lindsey dating Tom the werewolf

However, the best laid plans of mice and men, make that werewolves and women, often go astray. Her long estrange father Luc, who she has not seen in ages, comes to Austin to attend the annual Howl gala, but is arrested by Wolfgang on a homicide charge. Sophie who proved her mom innocent of a homicide plans to do likewise for her dad. This means playing nice to the Texas werewolf and other paranormal and human communities; requirements that have Sophie spitting up fur balls.

The latest Garou amusing lighthearted urban fantasy is an entertaining jocular tale that will have readers howling with laughter at the messes that the werewolf accountant finds herself in once again. The story line is breezy and brisk as the feisty independent Sophie learns the true bottom line as she steps in werewolf droppings trying to solve a murder in which the evidence including what she finds affirms Luc committed murder, a capital offense amidst the packs.

Harriet Klausner

Leader of the Pack is the third book in the Urban Werewolf series, it was a good read,exciting, suspenceful and a somewhat new way of looking at Wherewolfs. Once you start reading you won't want to put down as you will want to fund out what trouble Sophie gets into next and whether or not Tom is meant to be more than just a friend.

I read the three books in the series like I eat cookies...one right after the other....I really hope that the author writes one more...I want to know where sophie ends up and if she gets a 'co-alpha'...kinda left us hanging there at the end with the 'maybe' answer!! I'm just sayin'....

The 3rd book is just as funny and exciting as the 1st 2! Love it!!!